Shanghai Below the High Rise (2009)

Set against a backdrop of manic construction, Shanghai Below The High Rise takes a unique journey into the city's impoverished backstreets, where millions have fallen into the margins of society.

Director:

Simon James

Writers:

Simon James, Lucy Lu

Storyline

A cutting-edge documentary about Shanghai's 'underclass'; a group of millions made up of both impoverished local residents and migrant workers, who are all paying the ultimate price for the city's ongoing development programme in the lead-up to the 2010 World Expo. In an attempt to get the stories of those worst affected, the film journeys into the city's poverty-stricken backstreets, uncovering a way of life that could very soon be gone from the city forever. Among the many conflicts explored, we see a backstreet neighbourhood ravaged by an incomplete construction project; migrant workers forced into the city's 'hidden' economy; and former state employees left jobless, and with limited future prospects. This is a Shanghai rarely seen in the West. This is a Shanghai from below the high rise.

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Plot Keywords:

world fair | construction | migrant worker | injustice | china | 

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Taglines:

Journey into a world that could soon be gone forever.

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Genres:

Documentary

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Details

Official Sites:

Official site

Country:

UK China

Language:

English Mandarin Shanghainese

Release Date:

3 November 2009 (Norway)

Filming Locations:

China

Company Credits

Production Co:

Shatterproof Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

52 min 52 min (TV)

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Color:

Color Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.78 : 1

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